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Countries around the Indian Ocean and in South-East Asia have agreed a
recovery plan for sea turtles. Olive ridley, loggerhead, green, hawksbill,
leatherback and flatback turtles are under threat on three fronts: destruction
of their habitats, getting caught in fishing nets and hunting. The plan will try
to reduce all these threats, as well as encouraging scientific exchanges and
public awareness. “Sea turtles are an important component of the marine
ecosystem and serve as indicators of the health of the environment in which they
live,” says Douglas Hykle of the Convention on Migratory Species.